Cities & Towns
From historic main streets to thriving cities and laid-back ski towns, southwest Montana has a lot to offer within its local communities.
First comes runoff, flushing snow out of the mountains and forcing fisherfolk off the rivers. Read more >>
Butte
First comes runoff, flushing snow out of the mountains and forcing fisherfolk off the rivers. Read more >>
Nobody moves to southwest Montana looking for balmy beaches. The choice to live here is a choice to embrace the long winters that come with the territory. June snowstorms aren’t out of the question, nor is ice-fishing in November. Read more >>
Yeah, we've all made fun of it. We call it "Butt" or "The Pit" or "that place I go to get drunk on St. Patrick's Day." But Butte can't be all that bad, right? It was chosen over all other Montana towns for the National Folk Festival, after all. Read more >>The Big Hole River is the first choice of any Butte-area angler, with its wide variety of hatches and hungry trout. Just 30 minutes south of Butte on I-15, there is a chance at rainbows, browns, cutthroat, brook trout, whitefish, and grayling. Read more >>Bozeman
It sounds corny, I suppose, but I believe that there’s a place for each of us. Call it destiny, fate, or providence—the innate magnetism in all of us that tells us where we fit in the world. Some people search a lifetime without ever feeling the quiet satisfaction of belonging. Read more >>
One thing’s pretty certain this spring: If your story takes place in Bozeman, there’s a big, whitewashed letter decorating the mountains that serve as your backdrop. At least, if those mountains include the half-shaven southern face of Mount Baldy. Read more >>
The Museum of the Rockies’ Taylor Planetarium is a Bozeman landmark: its 40-foot, 110-seat domed theater offers an intimate and unique look at the Montana night sky. Read more >>
Spring in Bozeman is filled with the feeling of fresh opportunity. Whether it’s getting out the boat, bike, climbing gear, fishing rod, or camper, this is the season for some new adventure. Read more >>Big Sky
Live music is like nothing else. The sound is raw, the lights are blinding, the volume is cranked, and nothing tastes better than an $8 Bud Light after a couple of hours of jamming to your favorite band. Read more >>
Each winter, the Big Sky area brings us more than just the biggest skiing in America. Here are some of the best events around town and the surrounding resorts that you don’t want to miss. December 15 – March 31 Read more >>
I’m kicking and gliding along the impeccably groomed Nordic trails at Lone Mountain Ranch in Big Sky. Snow-laden trees line the edge of the trail, threatening to drop gobs of snow; North Fork Creek gurgles near the trail, verdant green moss peaking out from under the snow. Read more >>
Think Big Sky is only fun in the winter? Think again. Over the last few years, Big Sky Resort has been ramping up their snowless activities, building a tasty menu of summer options that’s nearly on par with their wintertime fare. Read more >>West Yellowstone
In Bozeman, truly remarkable landscapes are a fact of life. And, in my opinion, there is no better way to experience them than from the seat of a bike. Read more >>
Last February, a motley crew of four couples from the Gold Coast of Florida convinced me that taking a snowmobile tour into Old Faithful was a good idea. Read more >>
What happens when you find yourself needing a change of pace, a different outdoor backdrop, or just need to run into some new faces? Read more >>
If you’re looking to get out in the Gallatin National Forest but don’t want to pack around a stack of USGS topo maps, keep in mind that modern graphics programs and desktop publishing have allowed some nice alternatives in recent years. Read more >>Livingston
Every year, our corner of Montana braces for an endless caravan of RVs parading down toward Yellowstone, stopping in Livingston, Paradise Valley, and Gardiner along the way in vehicular atrocities larger than your house. Read more >>
Looking for a new venue for your favorite winter activity? Just head over the hill. Doesn’t matter what blows your hair back—once the snow comes down, you can find it in Paradise Valley. Read more >>
Come fall, the hordes of tourists have migrated home, leaving natives with the ice-blue rivers, deep-green junipers, and golden patches of cottonwoods surrounding Paradise Valley all to themselves. Read more >>
Wednesdays June 20-Sept 26 Livingston Farmers’ Market, 4:30pm. 220-0730. Saturdays June 23-Sept 1 Emigrant People’s Market, 10am. 333-9866. June 22 Livingston Art Walk, downtown Livingston, 5:30-8:30pm. Read more >>Gardiner
Every year, our corner of Montana braces for an endless caravan of RVs parading down toward Yellowstone, stopping in Livingston, Paradise Valley, and Gardiner along the way in vehicular atrocities larger than your house. Read more >>Wednesdays June 20-Sept 26 Livingston Farmers’ Market, 4:30pm. 220-0730. Saturdays June 23-Sept 1 Emigrant People’s Market, 10am. 333-9866. June 22 Livingston Art Walk, downtown Livingston, 5:30-8:30pm. Read more >>
Montana is graced with jaw-dropping mountains aplenty. But you can’t have mountains without valleys—and Montana’s valleys are as stunning as they come. The Big Hole, the Ruby, the Flathead, the Centennial… but only one is called Paradise. Read more >>
With Park splendor, recreational fun, wildlife sightings, and a spectacular summer sunset practically guaranteed daily, it's hard to ask for a fuller day in Gardiner. With a little planning, you don't have to. Butterfly Count naba.org Read more >>Ennis
Need a two-day getaway, but don’t want to blow wads of dough or spend hours on the road? Then pack a few things, shut off the cell phone, and head south to Ennis, where a laid-back and fun-filled weekend awaits—all within an hour’s drive of Bozeman. Read more >>
Every adventure, even a spring “staycation,” needs a good base camp—and Ennis fits that bill quite nicely. Traditionally a rest stop for travelers between the Gallatin Valley and the gold fields of Alder and Last Chance gulches, Ennis was a place to rest, refuel, and resupply. Read more >>
Finally! The tourist hatch has subsided and locals can breathe again. Fall’s the perfect time to head to Ennis for the weekend—there’s a plethora of possibilities in this corner of southwest Montana, and choosing a starting point can be overwhelming. Here’s a guide to help you out. Read more >>
Approximately 60 miles south by southwest of Bozeman, in the heart of the Madison Valley, lies the agreeable little town of Ennis. Originally a place of annual pilgrimage for the Shoshone, Flathead, and Bannack Indians, Ennis remains to this day a place frequented by seasonal visitors. Read more >>Three Forks
Located near Three Forks, Montana, this 638-acre park features spectacular views over the Madison River Valley. Read more >>
June 16-August 18 Missouri Headwaters Summer Speaker Series – Every Saturday, visit our closest state park for “Exploring Nature,” which includes speeches on Lewis & Clark, bear awareness, bird-watching, insect protein, and lots more. 285-3610. Read more >>
One of the most beautiful things you are ever likely to see is a thundering herd of horses raising dust under the azure Montana sky. Just ask anyone who’s ever seen it. Some folks will tell you it’s downright religious, but most lack the words to describe such a sight. Read more >>With fuel prices at all-time highs, this summer’s travel budget may need to stretch quite a bit further than in the past. However all is not lost—there are still ample chances for family bonding and tons of fun less than half a tank of gas away. Read more >>Manhattan
June 16-August 18 Missouri Headwaters Summer Speaker Series – Every Saturday, visit our closest state park for “Exploring Nature,” which includes speeches on Lewis & Clark, bear awareness, bird-watching, insect protein, and lots more. 285-3610. Read more >>
There is the rest of the world's Manhattan—the one in New York—and then there's our Manhattan. Theirs has the Upper West Side; ours is the Upper West Side. Theirs is near the Bronx, and ours is near the broncs. Read more >>It's tough being a Bozemanite sometimes. Which coffee shop am I gonna frequent? Which one of these Suby Outbacks is mine? Grab a jacket, a Nalgene, those never-ending out-of-town guests, and get back into the boonies for a day, on one tank or less. Read more >>I’ll never forget when my neighbor lent me his .22 so I could practice shooting in my backyard. Every day it was all I wanted to do. Then my dad bought me a .243, and I couldn’t wait to take it home and practice for the upcoming season. Read more >>Belgrade
Isn’t it funny how things work? All summer long I dream of backcountry powder, but as soon as those long winter nights set in, I begin passing the time on a bike trainer and dreaming of future “gravel grinder” rides on my cross bike. Read more >>Big Timber
Flanked by the Absaroka-Beartooths and the Crazy Mountains, the town of Big Timber sits at the confluence of the Yellowstone and Boulder rivers, serving as a great starting point for a multi-day adventure. Read more >>Red Lodge
January Nordic Moonlight Ski – ski along the shadow of the aspens then relax by a warm fire at the Red Lodge Nordic Center. beartoothtrails.org. Read more >>
Bozeman insiders know that for those of us who love the great outdoors—especially in the winter—the Gallatin Valley’s offerings can’t be beat. But, hey, sometimes you just need to get away. Read more >>
The Beartooth Pass typically opens in late May, after sufficient melt-off for plows to clear the snow-laden Beartooth Highway (U.S. Highway 212). Read more >>
“It’s like standing at the top of the world,” I hear someone say over the constant hiss of the wind. Men mill around in shorts and t-shirts, ladies walk across a snowbank in sandals with heels, and a bright-yellow Mustang convertible rolls up with the top down. Read more >>
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